DIY Reaming Out End Pin For Pickup Install

[cheer tunes]

Hi, I'm sure there are many opinions here. Drill, ream, what have you had the most consistent success with?

[llew]

My luthier/tech uses a reamer attached to a cordless drill. Assuming there is an existing hole where the endpin was. Never had any issues at all. (Sorry...that wasn't a "DIY")

[Rudy4]

To enlarge an existing end pin hole to accommodate an end pin jack I first glue in a plug made from a short section of wood dowel that matches the existing hole. I add a wide piece of painter's masking tape over the end to protect the finish from chip out, place a small indent in the center of the dowel with a pin punch, and drill the hole with a 1/2" Forstner bit.

I hold the waist of the guitar between my knees with the headstock end resting on a soft rug on the floor. This gives me a firm grip and its easy to precisely align the bit when using a cordless drill.

Since the Forstner doesn't require the center spur as a guide once the hole is established it doesn't matter how long the initial plug is.

I've done several installations using this exact procedure and never had a problem.

[stephenT]

Originally Posted by cheer tunes

Hi, I'm sure there are many opinions here. Drill, ream, what have you had the most consistent success with?

Best purchase was the Stew Mac End jack pin reamer.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ign=2020-11-gp

[JayBee1404]

I’ve seen it done both ways, drill and reamer. I’ve used a drill myself, two or three layers of tape over the hole to prevent breakout, a glamorous assistant (my wife) to help with holding/stabilising the guitar, a 15/32” drill, slow reverse initially (another breakout-prevention measure) than slow forward all the way through.

But I’m sure a reamer works just as well.

[stormin1155]

I use the same procedure as Rudy.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by stephenT

Best purchase was the Stew Mac End jack pin reamer.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ign=2020-11-gp

My advice? Take it to a professional who has the right tools, knowledge and experience. Most will charge in the range of about $25 to $50 to do the job, less than the cost of a good reamer. The cost to fix it, if an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer bungles it? Way more.

[stephenT]

Or, buy the Stew Mac Reamer once and do your own end pin jack reaming for life saving the $50 per,... assuming you're capable of operating a hand drill with an abundance o' caution.

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

My advice? Take it to a professional who has the right tools, knowledge and experience. Most will charge in the range of about $25 to $50 to do the job, less than the cost of a good reamer. The cost to fix it, if an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer bungles it? Way more.

[rcolosi]

Originally Posted by stephenT

Best purchase was the Stew Mac End jack pin reamer.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ign=2020-11-gp

There are a number of ways to do this successfully..sharp drill bits, forstner bits, mask it up with tape, etc..... If you have a fair amount of hand-tool savvy, and/or woodworking knowledge, it's not rocket science.

That said, I'm an authorized Baggs dealer/installer and I've done more of these than I can count. The StewMac tool is by far the best, easiest, safest and quickest way to do it right. You really have to purposefully try to do a bad job with that reamer.....to end up with a bad job.

The only downside to the reamer is it is ridiculously expensive...particularly if you are only going to use it one time. ...and it's not like it has a ton of other uses around the house...so there is certainly that consideration.

...anyway ...don't mean to start a forum-tool-argument, but this is something that I've spent a lot of time doing. ...cutting holes on someones $$$$ guitar is not a joke, so it's a tool I take seriously.

...and at least it's not a bridge pin argument.

[J.DrewPetersen]

I bought a Milwaukee reamer bit in the size recommended in the instructions for my LR Baggs M1A Taped the end pin area, took it slow, very clean result. The reamer comes out anytime a chip would be a bad thing, it was worth adding to my drill set.

[Goat Mick]

I use a step up bit that I bought at Lowe's for about $10. Go slow with steady pressure. I haven't had one finish problem or splinter around the hole yet.

[fazool]

I prefer a good quality version of a hand reamer (this is just a pic I scraped). Nice control and precise results

[generalliamsayn]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

To enlarge an existing end pin hole to accommodate an end pin jack I first glue in a plug made from a short section of wood dowel that matches the existing hole. I add a wide piece of painter's masking tape over the end to protect the finish from chip out, place a small indent in the center of the dowel with a pin punch, and drill the hole with a 1/2" Forstner bit.

I've installed 7 K&K's by now and this is exactly how I've done it (except on Collings where the endpins are glued in, in which case I cut off the knob with a dovetail saw before drilling). I find it much neater than using a reamer.

Definitely use a Forster bit and not a regular twist bit.

[dnf777]

Lots of good techniques mentioned here, but one thing common to all is to tape over area before any method of cutting is employed, to prevent chipping and flaking. I put a couple layers in criss-cross pattern. And be careful pulling it off when done.

[BlueStarfish]

+1 on a Milwaukee step-up bit. I recall mine cost me $15 or 20 at Home Depot, that’s a lot less than the StewMac reamer. I used it just this weekend on a new guitar I bought about 6 weeks ago, which came without a pick-up. Came out perfectly. I used a set of smaller bits, starting at 1/8” up to about 5/16”, to do a nice pilot hole. Then the step-up bit. And then a 15/32” standard bit to clean out the bore through the back end of the tail block. Took 2 mins start to finish. As several others have mentioned, be sure to use masking tape on the hole prior to drilling, it helps keep a nice clean bore.